Missing teen found in Watertown

Local law enforcement officers found a missing 17-year-old White County girl in Watertown on Tuesday, according to Lt. Scott Moore of the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.

Sarah Key was reported missing last week and was thought to be with a 30-year-old man. An order of protection was previously placed against the man, whose name has not been released.

Key was spotted walking alone down Greenvale Road, Moore said. Two separate tips were called into the sheriff’s office.

“Watertown Police Department dispatched an officer to that location and made contact with her at that time, and deputies were also sent down there to make contact with the individual,” Moore said.

Officers checked with White County authorities to make sure the individual was positively identified as the missing teenager.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an endangered child alert when Key was reported missing last week. Information and a photo of Key were spread throughout social media in the days following her disappearance.

Moore said he believes social media may have played a role in quickly finding Key.

“That’s one way where using social media and technology — getting a picture out there of a missing child — it helps in a lot of cases,” Moore said. “People come across someone who looks like the missing child and they’re able to contact law enforcement.”